1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a flush valve which is rendered operative in response to activation by a proximity sensor.
2. Prior Art
Various automatic valve assemblies known in the prior art such as, for example, shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,793,588; 4,971,287; 4,989,277; 5,125,621 and 5,169,118.
These prior art designs suffer from several deficiencies. Several of the designs require unique valve body arrangements and are therefore not applicable to conventional valve bodies. A nonconventional valve body design is impractical for wide use and eliminates the opportunity to retrofit existing systems.
Other automatic valve assemblies of the prior art incorporate the sensor and associated closing members above the diaphragm in a position above the top cover wherein the assembly is subjected to the relatively high pressure (up to 100 psi) which exists in the head area. Several of these designs require an additional top cover to be incorporated into the valve body to enclose the added structure.
The object of the present invention is to overcome drawbacks of the prior art designs. An additional object of the present invention is to provide an automatic valve assembly which is adapted to be incorporated in a conventional valve body. A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact, efficient and effective automatic valve assembly.